The Doctor and the Dark Knight
by TrickPhotography
Summary: After a rough shift at the hospital, Doctor Alice Weaver expects to be able to go home and relax. A certain vigilante has other plans. -ONE SHOT- Please review


The Batman watched as the woman left the metro station and ran to the apartment building. Lightning flashed and rain pelted anyone unfortunate enough to be outside. The doorman tipped his hat to her and opened the door. She chatted with him for a moment before handing him a tin foil package.

He waited a few minutes before a light turned on across from him. He let out a grunt of pain and clutched his side. The glove he pulled away was covered in blood.

OOO

Dr. Alice Weaver set her bag on the kitchen table and slumped against the wall. With eyes closed, she kicked off her shoes and walked to the couch, too tired even to take off her wet clothes. After a 76-hour shift at the hospital, all she wanted to do was sleep. She had been slated to leave around noon but a car pile up had filled the ER with crash victims. It was closer to 10 o'clock when she finally punched out.

Unfortunately, her body had other ideas than sleeping. A loud groan pierced the silence of the penthouse. She clutched her stomach and rolled to the floor. With a sigh, Alice stood up and walked to the refrigerator. Old left over's and a bottle of ketchup was all there was. She wrinkled her nose before popping Chinese food into the microwave. While it reheated, Alice went into the bathroom.

Staring at her in the mirror was a tired looking twenty-seven year-old woman. Bags were prominent under her brown eyes. The usual luster in her ruby red hair was gone from lack of care. Smirking, Alice turned on the tap and splashed water on her face.

OOO

Now was his chance. As the doctor walked out of the room, Batman leapt from his resting spot and glided to her balcony. It was obvious that she was new to Gothom. The sliding glass door was unlocked.

Silently, he pulled at the handle and let himself inside. Usually he didn't approve of doing this but desperate times called for desperate measures. He hissed as a spasm of pain shot through his body. At that moment, the alarm on the microwave went off.

"AHHHH!" the doctor shrieked as she entered the room.

"Please, I need your help," he said, reaching out to her. She grabbed the closest thing to her, a vase, and held it protectively in front of her.

"How did you get in here?" she demanded, glancing around nervously.

"Your balcony." At that moment, she noticed him clutching his side.

OOO

Alice felt her fatigue melting away and her training kick in. True, she should be terrified that this vigilante had broken into her home. True, he was accused of killing multiple people. But she had taken an oath to help anyone in need.

"If you promise not to hurt me, I'll clean you up." A smirk crossed Batman's mouth before he nodded.

"I swear." She sighed and set the vase back in its place before walking over to him.

"I'm trusting you, alright? You sit on the bed while I get my things. If you can, widen the area in your…um…costume? Above the wound."

"And if I can't?" he asked.

"Then I'm afraid that you'll have to disrobe. That's preferable, but I understand you want to remain anonymous." He nodded and limped over to her bed, tossing aside the comforter. It was regrettable that the white sheets would soon be soiled. Batman made a mental note to repay her for them.

A few seconds after he settled onto the mattress, Dr. Weaver was kneeling at his feet. She pushed his hand away from the bloody hole in his abdomen.

"Gunshot?"

"Yes." She tried to work around his suit before groaning in frustration.

"Can we cut this?"

"Not easily," he replied.

"Then I'll get some towels. It's going to have to come off if you want my help." Batman felt his heart speed up. She would be the first person since Rachel that learned who he was. He watched her hurry across the floor and into the bathroom. A pile of towels and rags were in her arms when she returned. "Do you need help?"

"I need a promise from you."

"I won't tell anyone. I swear on it," Dr. Weaver held his gaze. He studied her for a moment before letting out a breath.

"Alice, I didn't want you to find out this way," he muttered before removing his mask. He heard her sharp intake of breath.

"Bruce…Bruce Wayne?" Alice backed away from her college boyfriend. Her breathing increased as she fought back the shock. Memories of freshman year washed over her, and the pain of his disappearance. Under it all, she felt the weak butterflies in her stomach.

"Alice," he breathed. Bruce reached to touch her cheek but stopped short and gasped. It shook her from her revere.

"We'll talk about it later," she snapped. They managed to remove the suit until it was around his waist. After pulling on a pair of gloves, she gently probed the abrasion. The bullet hadn't passed though, so she would have to recover it.

OOO

"Here, bite down on this," said Alice, handing Bruce one of her leather belts. Her hands shook as she thought about what she was about to do. Sure, gunshots were commonplace at work where she was surrounded by proper equipment. At home? She had to make do. Bruce refused to let her take him to the hospital.

Bruce gave her a skeptical look before placing the bitter leather in his mouth. She hadn't offered anything when she'd pulled the bullet out. Moments later, he was glad she did. In order to sterilize the injury, Alice had to press a red-hot knife over it. He noticed that tears were in her eyes as she nervously glanced at him. The veins were bulging in his neck. Sweat poured down his face. Not a moment too soon, she removed the knife and placed it in a waiting bowl of water.

"Alright, now lay back. You're going to be sore but that's the worst of it," she stated, helping him move back up to the pillows. He allowed her to help him but clung to her hand when she tried to pull away.

"Thank you," and with that said, Bruce promptly fainted. Shaking, Alice removed her hand and went about cleaning up her MacGyver attempt at surgery. Leaning over the kitchen sink, she allowed herself to cry. Now she knew why doctors didn't treat people they know. After a minute or two, she steeled herself for the rest of the evening. There was still much to do.

OOO

Bruce woke up later in the night and saw that Alice was slumped in a chair next to him with her feet resting on the bed. There was a red mark on her cheek from where her hand had been pressed against it. A bowl of water was swirling red and black next to her. He reached up and felt his black eye make up was gone. She must have cleaned him as he slept.

Gingerly, he tried to roll off of the bed. It was bad enough that he had burst back into her life. He wasn't going to deprive her of her bed. Gently, he stood up and walked to her side. It was obvious that he wouldn't be able to lift her without reopening some wound. Instead he shook her should.

"Wha? What the hell are you doing out of bed?" Alice snarled. She quickly stood and put her hands on her hips. Bruce couldn't help but smile at her attempt to be intimidating.

"I'm going now."

"Like hell you are! You're not leaving until I tell you that you can. And I say lie back down before all my hard work goes out the window." She tenderly reached up to his shoulders and guided him back to the bed. He sat down and she stood in front of him.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she bit her lip.

"You need to take better care of yourself," she lightly started to trace the scars that decorated his body. Bruce caught her hands and held them up to his cheek, savoring the warm. Slowly, Alice sunk to her knees.

He placed a hand on her neck and traced her bottom lip. Alice closed her eyes and tilted her head back, parting her lips slightly. Conflicting emotions battled within them both but they were silenced.

Bruce leaned forward and captured her lips with his. Her hands buried themselves into his hair as his arms wrapped around her back. As they broke apart, he rested his forehead on hers.

"I'm sorry for everything," he whispered.

"Don't," she breathed.

OOO

The next morning, Bruce woke up to an empty apartment. He clearly remembered falling asleep next to Alice. They had talked most of the night. She had told him about going to medical school and her family. He explained why he did what he did.

After a little struggle, Bruce managed to get out of the bed. On the night table, he noticed a piece of paper. He laughed softly while reading it.

"Had to go into work. Take it easy, no jumping off buildings. Doctor's orders –Alice"

OOO

"I've got a delivery for Dr. Alice Weaver," a man stated, standing at the nurse's station. Alice, who was jotting down notes in a patient's chart, looked up.

"That's me," she said. The man walked over and handed her a clipboard. She signed her name before he handed her a bouquet of flowers and a box.

"Ooh, what's that?" one of the nurses asked. Alice shrugged and opened it. She laughed.

It was new sheets with a thank you card signed "BM".


End file.
